Xavi: Gavi, Nico and De Jong are not for sale

Martin Macdonald

26 Nov 2021 08:52 CST
3 min read

New Barcelona head coach Xavi is presented to fans after signing his contract — © ProShots

Barcelona head coach Xavi insists that star midfielders Gavi, Nico and Frenkie de Jong are not for sale.

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The Blaugrana's finances are in a terrible state at the moment and in the summer the club was ordered to drastically reduce their wage bill.

That ultimately led to the departure of high earners like Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmanna and Miralem Pjanic.

If Barcelona receive any offers for any of their players, they will need to be seriously considered.

Names like Gavi, Nico and De Jong are rumoured to be targets of major European clubs.

Xavi says it would not be in the club's best interests to sell these types of players.

"We need them, it is very clear," the Spaniard told reporters on Friday.

"In the end, the goal we have is for the footballer to be happy here and we need this type of player. They are playing and making a difference, they are not for sale at all, quite the opposite.

"We want to strengthen them and make them perform at their best. It is not our idea to sell this type of footballer."

Dembele's future at Barcelona

Another player who has been strongly linked with a transfer away from Barcelona is winger Ousmane Dembele.

Injury and form issues have led to a disappointing time for the Frenchman at Camp Nou, and with his contract expiring in the summer of 2022, it is looking increasingly likely he will leave as a free agent.

Barcelona are locked in negotiations over an extension and Xavi clearly wants him to stay as he previously insisted that Dembele could become one of the best players in the world in his position.

The Barca head coach is powerless to Dembele's contract decision, however.

"I had an individual talk with him, I made it clear to him how important he was for me, not only for this season but also for the future," Xavi revealed.

"I hope he can renew because he is a footballer capable of making a difference in the coming years. I speak with him, I don't know his surroundings, it depends on him and the club."